Car-coupling



(No Model.)

Q. J. HOKE.

.GAR GOUPLING. I No. 474,909.

,Patented MWI?, 1892 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

QUINTON JEROME HOKE, OF YORKVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL L. MILLER, OF SAME PLACE, AND JOSEPH W. RODDEY, OF ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of` Letters Patent No. 474,909, dated May 17, 1892.

Application tiled January 15, 1892. Serial No. 418,139. (No model.) v

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, QUINTON JEROME HOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yorkville, in the coiiuty of York and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which ro it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specification.

The invention relates to car-couplers, and r 5 more particularly to that class known as twin-jaw couplers; and it has for its obgect a construction whereby the coupling may be effected automatically and whereby the uncoupling may be effected without going bezo tween the cars.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with the draw-head and a substantially Z-shaped coupling-hook, of a gravital cam-lever adapted to drop between the 2 5 draw-head and the tail of the hook to lock the same against motion on its pivot and to be automatically moved out of the way of said tail of the jaw in coupling, as will now be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of a car-coupler embodying my invention, the coupling-hook being in a position for coupling with another coupler, a portion of the top of the draw-head being broken away to show the relative posi'- tion of said hook and its locking-lever. Fig.

2 is a side elevation thereof, showing the coupling-hook and locking-'lever in their relative position when two couplers are coupled together. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, the coupling-hook being removed; and Figs/i and 5 are perspective views of the coupling-hook and locking-lever, respectively.

Like letters indicate like parts wherever such may occur in the figures of drawings above described.

In Figs. l and 2,B indicates the draw-bar; A, the draw-head, which in its general construction is substantially like the draw-head 5o in the twin-jaw couplers ordinarily used, ex-

cept that said draw-head is not chambered in rear of and between its twin jaws a and a', but has simply a recess of proper curvature that merges into a lateral opening or slot formed in a boss a2, projecting from the side 5 5 of the draw-head in rear of the jaw a, to which the coupling-hook H vis pivoted.v The slot in the boss a2 ofthe draw-head isof such diameter as to accommodate the tailof the coupling-hook when in its normal position, as well 6o as a cam-shaped gravit-al locking-lever L, Fig.

5. This lever L is pivoted vin the boss 01,2 of the draw-head A at Z, and for freight or passenger cars its arm L may be of such length as to be manipulated without going between the cars; or said arm may have a cord or chain secured thereto, so that the lever can be manipulated from the platform of a passenger or freight car or from the top of a freight-car,

as may be found most convenient and as will 7o be readily understood. The leverhandle or arm L is, as shown, so arranged on the camshaped locking portion Z as that when said lever is turned to move said cam-shaped portion from between the tail of the couplinghook H and the draw-head and released said lever will automatically return or fall back into its normal position.

The coupling-hook H, Fig. 5, is pivoted to jaw a of the draw-head, as usual, and is sub- 8o stantially Z-shaped, its tail h being adapted to enter the slot in the boss a2, said slot being of T shape, the leg of the T serving to accommodate the said tail h of the hook, while the head receives the cam or locking portion Z of the lever.

The hook H is or may be constructed for use with link-and-pin coupler, as is the case in some couplers of this class. A

The advantages of a coupler constructed 9o and operating as described will be readily understood by those conversaiit with this class of couplers. It is inucli stronger than the ordinary coupler, having a chamber of greater or less depth intermediate and in rear of its twin jaws. The coupling devices are not liable to be rendered inoperative by snow, ice, or dirt; as such can have no access to the said devices.

Finally, owing to its simplicity, the coupler` roo can be constructed at a very low cost as com pared with that of couplers of this class as heretofore constructed.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tWin-j-aw coupler comprising a jawhead provided with a lateral slot or recess in rear of one of its twin jaws, a coupling-hook of substantially Z shape pivoted to said jaw, the Jfail of which is adapted to swing into said slot or recess,a gravital locking-lever located therein and actuated by the tail of the jaw and arranged to drop between the same and the rear Wall of the draw-l-1vead when the saidV tail has cleared the locking device, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a twin-jaw car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-head A and the Z-shaped coupling-hook H, pivoted to one of the jaws y, of said draw-head and whose tail h is adapted to enter a lateral slot or recess in rear of the l hook-supporting jaw, of the cam-shaped gravital locking-lever L, arranged relatively tothe couplin g-hook for (so-operation therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

QUINTON Witnesses:

J. FRANK I-IAR'r,

J As. T. HART.

JEROME HOKE. 

